SUV was Best-Selling Non-Truck Vehicle of 2017

What does this shift in preference for SUVs & crossovers mean for Ford?

Last year was the first year that an SUV or crossover was the best-selling vehicle in the United States that wasn’t a truck. Sedan sales are slowing worldwide as demand for SUVs and crossovers increases, reports the Detroit News. Obviously Ford is the truck-sales leader, but how will the apparent death of the sedan help the Blue Oval in the years to come?

It helps Ford because the company has a lot of SUVs and crossovers, with even more coming. Everything from the tiniest EcoSport to the biggest Expedition are designed for the tastes of current consumers, and all of the products are mostly fresh and updated. As customers move out of their Ford cars, they’ll be able to visit their local Ford store and find the right-sized vehicle for them.

Like pickup trucks, SUVs are more profitable than cars. They have higher transaction prices and have higher profit margins built in.

Of course, Ford doesn’t exclusively make SUVs, crossovers and pickup trucks. While the new Fiesta already debuted in Europe, it’s unlikely the car will continue in the States. The Ford Fusion was down 21.1% for the entire year. The Taurus hasn’t been updated in a very long time.

To be clear, the sedan and sports car is not going away. But it’s also not surprising that a company would want to focus on the products that customers are most likely to purchase. Plus, there’s no reason to worry about the success of the company at all. Last year, Ford sold nearly 900,000 F-Series trucks. That trend is likely to continue.